Mistakes Everyone Makes With Air Fryers

air fryers are one of the hottest new kitchen appliances but you can't just turn it on and throw your food in otherwise you might end up with a broken machine or a burnt dinner here are the mistakes everyone makes with air fryers while you don't have to build up a whole new recipe repertoire assuming you can use your air fryer for old recipes while keeping things like temperature and cooking time the same is a pretty big mistake one that can ruin dinner for sure there are countless recipes that can be adapted to an air fryer with just a few tweaks for starters taste of home says that a good rule of thumb is to remember to lower the cooking temperature by 25 degrees fahrenheit then check out the recommended cooking time you're going to want to take somewhere around 20 off that and there's a bit of a catch when you're thinking of the time it takes to cook something in an airfryer it's not always as clear-cut as you might be used to if you're cooking something on a stovetop different air fryers are going to have different cooking times so depending on your model your cooking time might be a little more or less taste of home says that french fries for example can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes when you're getting used to a new air fryer or trying a new recipe think of a cooking time as more of a guideline than something that's set in stone and know that it's not going to take the same amount of time as other cooking methods it's normal to assume that the temperature settings on our kitchen appliances are correct but that's not always the case according to taste of home the actual temperature that an air fryer runs at might not be near what you think you're setting it at they found that different models ran either hotter or cooler and that can mean the difference between crispy delicious fries and fries that are not so great fortunately double checking the temp of your air fryer is pretty easy to do and just requires the use of an oven thermometer and don't worry this isn't just a one-time purchase that's going to get thrown in a drawer over time the dials on your appliances can loosen and become much less precise we found that it's best to check the temperature of your oven at least once every six months or so in order to make sure you're actually cooking things at the temperature you think you are once you know you can make any adjustments necessary no one wants a side of food poisoning along with their meal so here's the thing even though air fryers seem like a pretty foolproof way to cook you should definitely be double checking to make sure everything's reached the proper temperature before serving brains report tested a variety of air fryers and found that they had one thing in common they all took longer to get food properly cooked than most guidelines suggested they recommended toasting a slice of bread as a test some airfryers could toast it in about three minutes while others took up to ten that's not a huge deal when you're talking about bread but when you're talking about cooking chicken it could mean the difference between enjoying a delicious meal and getting up close and personal with salmonella so when it comes to meats you're going to want to not just eyeball it but use a good instant read thermometer to make sure your meal is cooked all the way through take poultry for instance according to the usda all poultry needs to be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees fahrenheit that's when it's safe and when it comes to food safety it's better to be a hundred percent sure you're on temperature especially when you're using a cooking method that varies so widely it turns out it's sort of a misnomer to call an airfryer by its name because you do in fact need to use oil when you cook with it in the airfryer you really only need about one to two teaspoons for most items or up to one to two tablespoons for breaded items that you want to get really crispy basically it takes less than a spoon of oil for this thing really to make it work that's because while the hot air racing through your machine will cook things without oil they can come out dry burned and leathery using just a touch of oil will help your food crisp up this is especially true with fried and breaded items that you're heating up or cooking in your fryer the oil on the outside of the food will get heated by the air helping to cook the breaded items to a crispy golden brown if you're trying to avoid added fats in your diet you can use a non-stick cooking spray or oil from a spray bottle to make sure you use just enough to coat your food just be sure to spritz your ingredients before you put them in your air fryer basket which will help keep your machine clean now that you know you still need oil in your air fryer it can be easy to go too far in the other direction for a lot of us the impulse is to keep using the same amounts of oil as we do in traditional cooking methods so that we can ensure everything comes out of the airfryer crispy and delicious but unlike with traditional frying where you want your food to be submerged at least partially in oil in the airfryer you really only need a little bit of oil like one to two teaspoons for most foods using any more oil can lead to soggy burned food and is also a fire hazard there are some things that just have a permanent place in kitchens across the country and pam is one of those things america's favorite no stick spray this non-stick cooking spray can be a lifesaver and it's easy to see how you might be tempted to pull out that aerosol can and see if it'll make cleaning up your air fryer a little easier but don't do that air cookers notes that most air fryers already have non-stick coatings and these coatings can actually be damaged by the additives in some aerosol sprays some propellants currently in use will cause non-stick coatings to flake and if you've noticed this happening with your pans it's entirely possible your pam habit is to blame fortunately there's a quick fix pick up a non-aerosol pump sprayer or mister bottle and use it to add a mist of your favorite oil to not just your air fryer basket but countless other cooking projects it's tempting to just use your air fryer time and time again without cleaning it in between cooking sessions especially since unlike traditional frying you're not left with a sloppy pan of oil to clean up but that would be a mistake a number of problems can arise if you don't clean your air fryer often enough crumbs and food particles left behind in the basket can burn the next time you use your fryer additionally leftover oil residue in the drawer can smoke imparting your food with off flavors and posing a fire hazard the air fryer can also start to stink making your kitchen smell foul instead of putting it off until next time you should hand wash the air fryer basket bottom tray and drawer with warm water and dish soap after every session all of the pieces should remove easily from your machine your machine will stay running smoothly so you can keep cooking your favorite foods there's no such thing as a miracle product so there are some things you need to do to make sure your air fryer works like a charm you can't just throw your food in and then set the temperature as with most other cooking methods you need to preheat the airfryer before you use it if you put a potato wedge in a cold pan of oil it'll be a greasy beige mess when it's cooked through the same is true of food made in the air fryer you should preheat your air fryer for 10 minutes before you start cooking use that time to chop veggies and bread meats or to catch a few more minutes of your favorite netflix show preheating the airfryer will ensure that the ingredients in your basket start cooking immediately crisping up on the outside instead of slowly steaming into a soggy mess by the time your food is properly crisped outside it will be steamy and tender inside thanks to that quick preheat fried foods are nothing without seasoning so you'll likely want to add a hefty pinch or sprinkle of your favorite spices to anything you make in the airfryer however you need to be careful the airfryer works through convection aggressively pushing hot air around your food to cook it i simply let the hot air do the work for me this means any seasoning that isn't fully adhered to your ingredients can end up getting caught up by the rush of air leaving you with unseasoned food and a filthy air fryer it's a whirlwind of super heated air the same goes for crispy coatings and other light ingredients to ensure that you don't wind up with a flying salt and pepper disaster be mindful about when you season for instance spray veggies with oil before adding seasoning so it has something to stick to or season the flour beaten egg and crispy coating directly when making chicken tenders and the like instead of sprinkling them with seasoning after breading maybe your favorite churro recipe uses a batter or you're used to dunking hot dogs into a thick cornmeal sludge before making your famous corndogs well if you want to keep using loose batters to bread your foods you'll need to stick to traditional pan and deep frying if you try to put ingredients covered in a wet batter in your air fryer the batter will sink through the basket and wind up burning in the drawer below instead make crispy fried foods by using dry breadings or doughs many swear that a classic three-part breading process works best in the air fryer first coat your ingredient in seasoned flour then dip it in beaten egg and finally coat it in breadcrumbs spritz each piece lightly with oil and cook in your airfryer until done your result golden brown crispy air fried foods that have less fat than their traditionally made counterparts but just as much flavor if you got your air fryer because you're trying to eat healthier foods like unprocessed fresh veggies you might be surprised to hear this next fact you're better off using frozen vegetables in your airfryer not fresh unfortunately raw veggies tend to scorch in the airfryer before the insides can be cooked all the way through frozen vegetables on the other hand have more moisture this allows them to cook fully before starting to brown so you don't wind up with a charred exterior and frozen interior luckily most frozen veggies are frozen at the peak of freshness so you still get the same robust flavor you'd expect when cooking a raw vegetable sometimes even better how many times have you microwaved or baked your leftover pizza orange chicken or french fries only to be greeted with a plate of food that's soggy when it should be crispy burnt and hard when it should be soft and leathery and tough when it should be tender all of those leftovers end up going to waste the air fryer is a champ when it comes to reheating your favorite leftovers pizza stays crispy on the bottom while melting the cheese on top tater tots and fries are re-crisped to perfection pretty much any solid food is better reheated in the airfryer than anywhere else with a name like airfryer it's understandable that some people think you can only make fried foods in one of these devices luckily for the more adventurous foodies among us this isn't the case while frozen and leftover fried foods both taste delicious when you make them in your airfryer it's even better for making crispy breaded foods from scratch you'll be able to customize the recipe to your liking meaning you can skip the additives preservatives and high sodium found in most frozen foods so that you wind up with much crispier food than if you baked in the oven better yet your foods will still be lower in fat than if you fried them in the traditional manner try breading chicken or pork chops or making a fresh batch of chicken parmesan in your air fryer to save time one of the reasons why air fryers are such a great tool in the kitchen is that they're versatile it turns out you can even make your favorite baked goods in one why make baked goods in the air fryer it doesn't use up as much energy as heating up your entire oven and in the warmer months it's one way to make sure that you aren't turning your house into an oven just because you were craving chocolate cake the other reason it's easy to convert conventional oven recipes into air fryer recipes when it comes to baked goods set your air fryer to the same temperature as the original recipe calls for and cook your items for the same amount of time the one thing you will need to be conscious of is the size of your air fryer some have round baskets others have square baskets so you need to be mindful of which inserts you can use inside your fryer remember too that ramekins and silicone molds can also be used in your airfryer to make individual sized desserts that will cook up quickly and on that note you do always need to use some sort of pan or insert when baking in the air fryer if not batter and dough will seep through the holes at the bottom of your air fryer basket burning and creating a potential fire hazard most air fryers come with a basic basket and that's all you'll need to make classic favorites like french fries frozen fried foods and many reheated leftovers but if you really want to get your money's worth out of the airfryer investing in some accessories will help as we've already noted your air fryer should always be set on a heat heat-proof surface if your countertop isn't made to withstand high temperatures you'd be wise to invest in a silicone mat to set your air fryer on before you start cooking one of those is a lot more affordable than replacing your entire countertop there are accessories that go inside the air fryer that can make it more useful too look for cake pans silicone molds ramekins racks and other cooking devices that can fit inside your air fryer basket these will help you make a much wider variety of foods in your airfryer without having to worry about spillage overflow or burning so you can get as much use out of your new device as possible also be on the lookout for things that make cleaning up your air fryer easier this includes oil sprayers which will help prevent stuck on food and parchment paper lines which keep the bottom of your fryer clean the easier it is to take care of the more inclined you'll be to use it it doesn't matter how much you like to cook there's one universal truth that goes along with that no one likes to be the one to clean up and sure air fryers might be convenient but they can be a hassle to clean as easy as it might be to take a shortcut at the end you shouldn't getting the basket and drawer of an air fryer clean is a pain and getting them dry is even more of a pain if that is you're using a towel there's no need in order to get your air fryer completely dry and avoid that almost inevitable slightly funky smell you'll notice if you leave something that's sealed sitting on your countertop for a bit blue jean chef says there's an easy fix after giving it a thorough scrub replace the basket and the dryer and turn your airfryer on for just a few minutes all that extra moisture gone if you've tried every trick in the book taken every bit of advice you've been given and are still having trouble getting your airfryer meals to come out as good as everyone else swears theirs do here's some good news it might not be anything you're doing at all which is a consumer watchdog and advocate group in the uk and they looked at air fryers to see how price impacted quality they found that in many cases price did make a difference while there were some cheap air fryers out there that got the job done when it came to something like a single serving of fries spending a little more money made a huge difference when it came to things like capacity the versatility of being able to cook more than one thing at a time and smart controls if you buy a cheap air fryer you might find yourself dealing with a model that doesn't even have a power cord long enough to safely position it in your kitchen bbc good food found similar things when they tested a series of air fryers they found one decent budget model while all their other recommendations were between 207 and 345 dollars the bottom line seems to be that if you went on the cheap side for your air fryer there's a good chance it might not put out a satisfactory meal even if you do everything right an upgrade might be in order check out one of our newest videos right here plus even more mashed videos about your favorite stuff are coming soon subscribe to our youtube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one

Channel: Mashed

Views: 2,380,511

Keywords: mashed, cooking, food, air fryer, mistakes

Id: RoIxo9VXyyg

Length: 13min 47sec (827 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 02 2021